Tuesday, 16 February 2016

New Delhi: A BJP delegation today met Chief
Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi and election commissioners in New Delhi and
demanded that fair and fear-free polls be ensured in Kerala and West Bengal by
deploying adequate security forces.

"Discrepancies on a large scale have been found in voters lists published
for 2016 in Kerala. For example, the population of Kerala is 3,34,06,061
according to the 2011 census, but 2,56,27,620 voters have been shown in the
voters' list, which is impossible because people under 18 years of age were
also included in the census," said Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Union Minister of
State for Parliamentary Affairs, who led the delegation.

"Besides this, about 23.63 lakh non-resident Keralites have not been
included in the voters' lists. The BJP demands that these mistakes be corrected
immediately and online voters registration should continue," he added.

BJP general secretary Arun Singh, secretary Shrikant Sharma, spokespersons Sudhanshu Trivedi and Nalin Kohli were part of the
delegation.

The BJP delegation said it suspected that some political parties might indulge
in violence and chaos to disturb the election process in West Bengal.

"Communal and violent incidents have been taking place in various parts of
West Bengal continuously. Hundreds of BJP workers have been killed. Several
administrative and police officials have been working like workers of the
ruling party (Trinamool Congress)," the BJP leaders said.

"Some districts of West Bengal have become strongholds of anti-national
and anarchist elements. The ruling party seems either a mute spectator to these
elements or is saving them," the BJP said in a memorandum submitted to the
poll panel chief.

The delegation urged the Election Commission that adequate deployment of
central security forces and special observers was needed in West Bengal and
Kerala during the election process so that people can participate fearlessly.

Elections to the state assemblies of West Bengal and Kerala are due to be held
soon.